Detergent composition simulating olive oil soaps



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE arouse,

DETERGENT COMPOSITION SIHULATING OLIVE OIL SOAPS Sou-en z. Avedlkiaii, New York, N. Y.

No Drawing.

Application May 28, 1938,

Serial No. 82,208

12mins;

I In the rayon, silk and wool textile and yarn industries, there has always existed a need for a detergent product that would reduce the time of operation of the boiloff and washing without in any way harming or damaging the fabrics and yarns. The desire to develop a substitute for olive oil soap for use in silk and wool de-gumming and boiloiis has occupied technicians for many years without success. Substitutes that have been used or proposed tended to damage or ruin the treated goods, causing loss to the users. The ideal agency would bemore rapid in action than those now in use, mild but elfective in its result, not damaging the treated fabrics, and relatively less expensive.

There has long existed also a need in the home and for general use of a. soap or a cleanser relatively neutral in effect but highly emcient in action, safe for and aiding in the preservation of the beauty of the hands, and at the same time capable of removing unpleasant odors. No such soap or cleanser highly satisfactory in all these respects is now known. I

Such a need has also been felt in the ileld of toilet soaps, shampoos, etc., where highly alkaline conditions are harmful to the user and are to be avoided. It is' known that castlle soap and some other preparations are good for toilet use. But castile soap and the others are relatively expensive and hence not available to the general public, which as a result resorts to less expensive soaps or soap preparations of detrimentally high alkalinity.

From time to time there have been introduced cleansers and soap powders incorporating some of the materials that I may use in my compositions, but they have been highly alkaline, making them harmful to the skin and injurious to fabrics, such as acetate silks, wools, etc. In my invention certain alkaline substances are combined so as to eliminate harmful alkalinity and assure a prodnot of low pH value, useful for industry and general use since it cleans thoroughly and quickly and at the same time protects the human skin or the fabrics treated. Thus the principal object of my invention is to provide a safe and comaratively inexpensive cleaning agent of low pH value for the textile and related industries and to make a product capable of removing odors and finding application in general usage.

My detergent composition is Just as harmless to the goods treated as the olive oil soaps now in general use. Nevertheless, it accomplishes the I (Cl. 87-4) e over, it may be made practically independent of the fluctuations in the price of soap as its chief components are stable, chemical commodities and the soap content can be made either zero or so small that its eflfect on the final price will be relatively negligible.

My composition because of its controlled low pH value and because of its low cost is of great value also for general. purposes, especially for the removal of odors in laundering and in washing dishes and cutlery. This mixture is decidedly effective in completely destroying and eliminating fish, perspiration, rancid oil and other offensive odors from fabrics, clothing, porcelain, glassware, cutlery, etc. Owing to the unexpected success with which it has been found possible to control the pH value, use of a composition of this invention in the home for various domestic purposes is innocuous. It can be used for the most delicate fabrics, for housework where it will protect the hands from the usual harm experienced in the use of ordinary cleansers, and for toilet purposes as a shampoo, etc.

Specifically, my detergent composition is the product resulting from the union or mixture of a number of substances which singly do not produce the desired effects but in combination givefin action a result superior to that of the soaps and cleansers in industry and in general use. For example, I preferably make use of such abundantly available chemical substances as sodium carbonate or tri-sodiu'm phosphate in combination with di-sodium phosphate, borax and a protecting and adsorbent agent such as bentonite, with or without the further addition of soap and anoxidizing agent such as sodium perborate. I use di-sodium phosphate instead of using tri-sodium phosphate exclusively because I have found that with it I can advantageously control the alkalinity and the pH. It is well known that each of the substances, sodium carbonate or tri-sodium phosphate, di-sodium phosphate and borax, is strongly basic in reaction and exerts a powerful alkaline influence on any substance with which it comes in contact. But I have found that the united effect of the three differs markedly from that of the sodium carbonate or trl-basic phosphate. A solution of disodium phosphate and borax acts in a manner approximating a butter and its alkaline strength Cross fiererence em."

is low. The addition of such a strongly basic reagent as soda ash or tri-sodium phosphate to this solution does not bring about a great change in the pH of the solution as it would in a solution of pure water, and the alkaline strength remains at a relatively low pH, thus eliminating the dangers which go with high alkaline strength. Ordinarily, a small amount of tri-sodium phosphate gives in water a pH greater than 10.8 pH units. In my buffer solution, however, approximately six times that amount of tri-sodium phosphate will give a pH of 9.6 to 10.0.

The adsorbent substance used in conjunction with these alkaline compounds I have found acts as a protective agent, and furthermore assists in removing or adsorbing odors. Bentonite is mentioned as an example only, and any equivalent may be used, such as any other active clay, charcoal, activated carbon, silica gel and other such substances which have the property of adsorbing odors, etc. I may dispense with the adsorbent material under certain conditions.

In addition to the foregoing substances it is sometimes desirable to.include' soap to act as a supplementary, colloidal cleaning substance. In some cases, I may also add an oxidizing agent, such as sodium perborate.

Sodium pyrophosphate, i. e., tetra-sodium phosphate, may be used in place of di-sodium phosphate to form the buffer mixture with borax.

Some examples may here be cited which embody my invention and which act in the manner described above. The following are specific examples of some mixtures including the buifer mixture of di-sodium phosphate and borax (sodium tetraborate) and the other components of each mixture, together with the quantities of each.

Example I Pounds Sodium carbonate 15 Di-sodlum phosphate 25 Sodium tetraborate (borax) 25 Bentonit 35 Example II Pounds Sodium carbonate 15 Di-sodium phosphate 25 Sodium tetraborate (borax) 20 Bentonite 20 Soap 10 Sodium perborate -1 10 Example III 2 Pounds 'Trl-sodium phosphate 40 Di-sodium phosphate 20 Sodium tetraborate (borai) 20 Soap 20 jmmplelv Pounds Trl-sodium phosphate 30 Di-sodium phosphate 15 Sodium tetraborate (borax) 15 Soap 20 Bentonite--- 20 These are preferably prepared by first pulver izing each of the components and then mixing them in the proper amounts in a dry-powder mixer, which will give intimate, thorough mixing of the substances that go to make up the formula. The uniformly mixed powder so obtained is preferably used as such. If desired, however, a bonding material may be used to form these various powdery substances into cakes. The powder form has the advantage of producing a solution quickly. The solid materials dissolved in water may be put up as liquid Preparations.

Cross liererence" The concentrations and other data here cited. are for the sake of example only and other concentrations, mixtures, etc. may be used; wide variations in the relative percentages of the materials making up the composition are possible 5 so long as the buffer mixture of di-basic sodium phosphate and borax, or tetra-sodium phosphate and borax, is present and so long as the limiting pH of the water solution is at about pH units.

All such departures from the figures given and 10 equivalents are intended to be within the scope of this invention.

The salts of the alkali metals equivalent to sodium phosphate, di-, triand tetra-basic forms, sodium carbonate, and sodium perborate are included in the category of equivalents of this invention. The mixture of a di-basic or tetra-basic alkali metal phosphate with sodium tetra-borate, assuring low alkalinity, may be used as such with or without the various other materials to provide a predominantly inorganic detergent of a very mild character, but for highly eiIective action and controlled, relatively low alkalinity the combination therewith of materials such as sodium carbonate and tri-sodium a phosphate is to be employed.

I claim:

1. An alkaline detergent composition giving a solution of substantially constant pH comprising a strongly alkaline substance of the group consisting of tri-basic alkali metal phosphates and alkali metal carbonates buffered with a mixture of -di-basic alkali metal phosphates and borax in substantially the ratio of 1:1.

2. An alkaline detergent composition giving a solution of substantially constant pH comprising a strongly alkaline substance of the group consisting of tri-sodium phosphate and sodium carbonate buffered with a mixture of di-sodium phosphate and borax in substantially the ratio 40 3. An alkaline detergent composition giving a solution of substantially constant pH comprising tri-sodlum phosphate buffered with a mixture of di-sodium phosphate and borax in substantially the ratio of 1:1.

4. An alkaline detergent composition, of substantially constant pH when insolution, comprising sodium carbonate buflered with a mixture of di-sodium phosphate and borax in substantially the ratio of 1:1.

5. An alkaline detergent composition, of substantially constant pH when in solution, comprising soap and a strong alkaline substance of the group consisting of tri-sodium phosphate and sodium carbonate, said composition buffered with a mixture of di-sodium phosphate and borax in substantially the ratio of 1:1.

6. An alkaline detergent composition, of substantially constant pH when in solution, compriso ing tri-sodium phosphate and soap buffered with a mixture of di-sodium phosphate and borax in substantially the ratio of 1:1.

'I. An alkaline detergent composition, of substantially constant pH when in solution, comprising sodium carbonate and soap bufl'ered with a mixture of di-sodium phosphate and borax in substantially the ratio of 1:1.

8. An alkaline detergent composition, of substantially constant pH when in solution, com- Examiner amuse 3 9. An alkaline detergent composition, of substantially constant pH when in solution. comprising tri-sodium phosphate and bentonite builered with a mixture of di-sodium phosphate and borax in substantially the ratio 01' 1:1.

10. An alkaline detergent composition. of substantially constant pH when in solution, comprising sodium carbonate and bentonite buttered with a mixture of di-sodium phosphate and born:

10 in substantially the ratio of 1:1.

11. An alkaline detergent composition, or substantialiy constant pH when in solution, comscum z. 4mm. 

